The new Porsche 911 Sport Classic is the most powerful manual 911, but Boris Apenbrink, Head of Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur Vehicles, still doesn’t see the collector’s item, which is limited to 1,250 units, on the race track – “rather on a coastal road along the Côte d’Azur,” he says. Because despite all their potency, the Heritage models from Porsche should above all arouse feelings. According to Apenbrink, they are all emotional luxury cars.
The new Porsche 911 Sport Classic not only appeals to the eyes but also appeals to other senses with its special handling. The combination of a six-cylinder biturbo boxer engine, rear-wheel drive, and a seven-speed manual transmission is unique in the Zuffenhausen portfolio. How does that make itself felt on the street? This 550 hp sports car demands skill!
At the end of the day, he should be proud of being able to handle the car“, describes Apenbrink. Because the Sport Classic is based on the units of the current 911 Turbo models but has a mind of its own. He is the character actor among the 911s, with rough edges, who questions the master-slave relationship between car and driver and likes to get around corners. The Head of Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur Vehicles is certain: it will take a while before you can drive fast in this sports car.
“The key factor in this car is the visual expression,” explains Markus Auerbach, Head of Interior Design at Porsche. For example, some design features were irrefutably fixed at the very beginning of the development process. The first description of this car said: fixed front spoiler lip and fixed rear spoiler. “As designers, we are convinced that these design features are part of the characteristics of a Sport Classic,” says Auerbach.
However, the result does not show a standard spoiler: Inspired by the 911 Carrera RS 2.7 from 1973, a narrow example with a “ducktail” look is enthroned on the rear of the Sport Classic, which proved to be a real aerodynamic challenge in the wind tunnel – but according to Apenbrink proves once more: “Automotive development is always driven by compromises because you have to combine the best that is possible with what is technically possible”. We find: If compromises look like this, we’d love to have more of them!
The original model of the 911, the so-called F model, which was built from 1965 to 1973, served as a further source of inspiration. But unlike its ancestor, the new Porsche 911 Sport Classic is much wider, after all, it is based on the body that is otherwise reserved for the turbo models. Wouldn’t it have needed a narrower look to stay true to the original? A question that was also discussed controversially within Porsche.
However, designer Auerbach is happy that width was ultimately chosen: “It was about strengthening one of the biggest brand signals of the 911, the muscle that sits on the back, the sculpture. It was important to work out this unique selling point, this fillet piece, and not weaken it with a narrower body.” Rather, it’s about bringing the best of our past into the modern age, interpreted in a forward-looking way.”
Porsche 911 Sport Classic: an exclusive collector’s item has its price
Porsche advertises all of its heritage models based on the past as “Icons of Cool”. The Porsche 911 Targa 4S Heritage Design Edition started things off in 2020 and drew design parallels to the 1950s. The Sport Classic, as the second limited small series from Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur, picks up on the style of the sixties and early seventies, two more Heritage models will follow. What all vehicles have in common is the claim: It is about a successful overall composition. The communication color of the Sport Classic is sport gray metallic, based on the fashion gray of the Porsche 356.
If you don’t like that, you can also have your collector’s item painted in black, agate gray metallic, or gentian blue metallic. The Pepita fabric pattern sets highlights in the interior, on the center panels of the seats, and on the door mirrors. In addition, green instruments, wood accents, and leather in the color classic cognac are reminiscent of the 1960s. Because such polarizing vehicle concepts are not for everyone, Porsche also offers a neutralization variant with black leather.
To signal the references to the past even more clearly, the Porsche Crest is almost identical to that of 1963. Other eye-catchers are the gold-colored accents, such as the model designation on the rear, the surface of which is finished with real gold. If you read all this, you already know: This sports car has its price. The journey starts at 272,714 euros, and the Porsche 911 Sport Classic will be available from dealers from July 2022.
As a consolation, Porsche is offering essential interior features from the small series as a heritage design package, but also as an order option for other 911 models. After all, you don’t just want to stimulate exclusivity, you want to give as many customers as possible the opportunity to experience the feeling of the sixties in their vehicle. The only downside you have to accept is: Seat ventilation cannot be installed due to the Pepita fabric cover – but somehow it fits: After all, you want an authentic heritage feeling.
